10 Methods of Online Domination
by MonMacabre
Summary: Marinette is addicted to a brand spankin' new virtual reality game called Miraculeux. Her avatar's body is totally kick-ass, despite her magic abilities remaining stubbornly dormant, and Marinette just knows she can win a spot among the game's best guild, called the Akumas... If only this damned cat would stop nattering on about some corruption in the game system.
1. Chapter 1

Adrien Agreste pulled out his rapier, grinning wickedly, "I look forward to collecting your treasure."

His opponent scoffed, "I'd like to see you try, Chat Noir."

"Gladly." Blocking a swipe from his left, Adrien leapt forward with all the grace of a cat. He slid beneath the man's arm and knocked him in the back of the head with the blunt end of his sword, watching as the man crumpled to the ground.

And then slit his throat.

Adrien's figure glowed brightly, and suddenly he felt lighter on his feet. He'd accumulated the man's measly two remaining lives and six manas.

But now at least, Adrien had a total of nine lives.

He marched off with a small smile, riding the high of having grown more powerful. Also, the fact that the man had known his player name? No small ego boost.

Pulling out a map of the neighboring villages from his worn pack, he set route for Helmfirth. It was the closest town, prospering due it's vigorous trade market and clan of merchants.

Opening his digital options menu with a single thought, Adrien checked his inventory. He still had his beloved rapier, several throwing knives, potions for healing, and his enchanted ring. It seemed everything was in order.

Perhaps it was time he upgraded his weaponry. Chat Noir was fearsome, but a cat was meant to be lethal.

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng swept through the boss's castle with a death defying vengeance.

With a sum of exactly twenty lives, she had little to fear from a mere mountain troll. He was no challenge.

Latching her whip on a sturdy rafter, she swinged over yet another pile of precious gems.

The troll swung his mace, but Marinette easily avoided it, using her whip to swing once more to the next room- a lavish dining hall with high ceilings and a long table, laid with a feast fit for royalty.

Marinette would know about royalty. She was considering joining the Akuma guild, the leader of which had recently become a King. The first player to ever be crowned in Miraculeux. And he had only started playing months ago.

The king's player name was a mystery, so everyone had taken to calling him The Monarch. He was the ruler of the butterflies after all.

And perhaps, one day, Marinette would become an akuma as well.

Marinette sighed as she once again dodged the troll's mace, a girl can dream.

But she could only be considered to join the Akuma guild if she faced one of The Monarch's knights in combat.

This mountain troll hardly seemed suitable for practice.

With a sharp inhale, Marinette leaped over the troll, using his broad shoulders as leverage for her hands and backflipping to land a ways behind him.

When the troll turned to face her once more, he stumbled over his own treasure. Marinette took advantage of his poor balance, wrapping her bullwhip around his ankles so he came crashing down upon one of the magnificent tables.

She stood over the troll's form where he lay shocked.

Panting slightly at the effort, she selected a gleaming blade from her inventory and it appeared in her gloved hand.

Her expression grim, Marinette pierced the monster's heart with cold steel.

The troll's eyes widened, and Marinette winced as he flickered out of existence.

Marinette's skin shone a lovely pink as her mana increased once again.

Marinette reprimanded herself for being weak, her fingers shaking around the knife's hilt. The boss wasn't real after all, just a digital projection.

Opening up her inventory with mind power alone, Marinette put her murderous blade away for another day.

Then she opened her settings menu once more, shooting one last glance around at the beautiful animation. Her voice was strained as she cried, Miraculeux, spots off!

The logout information flashed before her eyes, and then she was just a girl wearing a headset in a pink bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien entered Helmfirth just as the animated sun had begun to caress the horizon. The creators of the game must have been studious artists to paint the skies such a perfect vermillion.

Helmfirth's squat clay houses surrounded him, each lovingly resided in by amateur players. They were the sort of people to settle down before even exploring what the Miraculeux world really had to offer.

Entering mainstreet, Adrien noticed three young men looking around the many shopping stalls with wide eyes. They all wore matching turquoise robes, the styles of which were often found on Testudines' sandy dunes.

They were part of a desert guild, then. Adrien scowled and walked past them quickly.

Seeing anything reminiscent of his previous guild was… unpleasant to say the least. He passed by a smaller stall and paused, his eye catching on the rainbow of outlandish colors.

Adrien backpedaled slowly, gaping at the variety of magic potions before him.

Entering the small stall, Adrien met the curious gaze of a magic wielder. She gave him an odd look that he understood to be, _why are you hiding your face?_ To which Adrien only responded by pulling his cowl further down.

He watched as the young woman's entire exterior became more guarded, her hazel eyes narrowing. She wore star flecked garbs that contrasted with her sunset tinged curls and dark skin.

"What can I do for you today sir?" the merchant asked, her tone suspicious.

Adrien hesitated, viewing the various powders and potions all winking up at him. One crystal ball looked especially enticing…

"What is that?" He inquired, referring to an ebony gauntlet that lay carefully encased in glass.

The merchant's stiffened, but made herself relax immediately. "That's the Cataclysm. I would suggest you avoid it, as most say it's cursed."

Adrien raised his eyebrow, "If that is the case, how come it's so clearly on display?"

The magic wielder fidgeted a bit beneath Adrien's gaze, giving away her guilt on the matter.

Apparently having realized that silence wasn't an appropriate response, the merchant explained quietly, "I wanted to sell the Cataclysm to rich buyers, due to its hefty price."

And yet, the magic wielder had warned Adrien instead of encouraging his purchase. Adrien's gilded brow furrowed.

The magic wielder hesitated, "Also, selling the cursed Gauntlet of Plagg is a burden off my shoulders. I've been having shit luck lately, by just owning the thing. I thought maybe someone else could bear the burden for a while." she looked up nervously, "Pathetic, I know."

Adrien shrugged, "It is just a game after all. Your desperation may be a bit excessive."

The merchant bristled, "it most certainly is not just a game. Otherwise, _Miraculeux _wouldn't be so popular. People wouldn't be so desperate for survival in a counterfeit world. There's something more to _Miraculeux_."

Adrien smirked, "Is that so."

"I- well, I think?"

Adrien had never heard these words voiced, though he had certainly thought them before. The woman was bold to show such genuinity. Bolder than Adrien.

"I'll buy it."

"What?"

Adrien chuckled, "I'm going to purchase the gauntlet."

The magic wielder was looking between Adrien and the gauntlet, dumbfounded. "But it's cursed!"

Adrien's smile was bitter as he pulled the gauntlet to him, "Than it will fit me perfectly."

"The price is in gold-"

"I can manage." Adrien pulled up his digital menu and opened up his funds. He had more that enough blood money for a cursed gauntlet.

He made the transfer and then added the gauntlet to his inventory. He wouldn't experiment with its dark magic. Not yet.

Waving a goodbye and leaving the magic wielder to her moral identity crisis, Adrien continued on to the smithy. He languidly surveyed the many blades as they gleamed darkly in the evening light.

The smithy smiled at Adrien, but didn't say much as he was busy with another customer, with whom he conversed excitedly.

"They say one of the Akuma knights has been challenged in one on one combat tomorrow evening!"

"And by a mere magic wielder you said?"

"Yes! It's likely to be the entertainment we've all been craving lately. I'm bringing the whole family!"

Adrien inspected a shortsword, running a gloved finger down its flat side thoughtlessly. He didn't want to involve himself in this. He didn't. But if a powerful magic wielder was to join Hawkmoths ranks, he would be unstoppable.

He'd have to intrude.

Adrien set the sword down, "Good sirs."

The men faltered in their discussion and turned to view him. Adrien smiled, "when and where precisely will this event take place? I wish to attend the Akuma duel."


	3. Chapter 3

The teeming crowd of gamers was starting to solidify into a ring. Marinette could only presume that this was the official help

The very real physical form of Marinette Dupain-Cheng slumped over the bakery counter. She was sweating from every possible pore of her body and then some, and she had yet to see a single customer.

But who would enter a patisserie with broken air conditioning in late July? The weather was bad, but the ovens in the back of the bakery made _Tom and Sabine's_ even hotter.

Marinette rued the day when she had agreed to afternoon shifts in the summer. It had been the decision of a foolish young girl.

Okay so it had only been a week ago, but nevertheless, past Marinette had not imagined herself with hands too sweaty to hold a pencil.

Present Marinette sighed and resigned herself to staring out the window forlornly. Waiting for a sign- anything that would tell her one customer was worth melting for.

But than the doorbell rang, and in came the dude of all dudes.

"Holy fuck Marinette, how are you not puddle on the floor already," Nino said by way of greeting.

Marinette managed to flop her hand around in a somewhat wave-like gesture.

"Poor dudette, you're brain's already boiled!"

Marinette may have replied, _I'm fine_, but who could be sure? It didn't seem to matter anyway.

Nino was vehemently shaking his head,"we've got to get you outta here dude."

"Meh?"

He nodded, and awkwardly clambered over the counter, which was definitely not allowed. "We're leaving. Now."

"Meh."

He nudged her outside, grunting when her legs refused to move. By the time they had finally reached the front door, Marinette's eyes were shut, and she groaned with effort as she took the last few steps…

She was kissed by a breeze that was probably a blessing from some Antarctic deity.

Nino gestured to the nearby bus stop, and the two of them waited there in comfortable silence. After a short while, a bus arrived with a destination to their liking, and they sat down on forward facing seats.

Marinette sighed deeply, "What a relief!"

Nino nodded, "I knew I was making the right decision."

"Indeed."

Nino asked hesitantly, "Will your parents be okay with you taking a break for a bit?"

He sounded so genuinely nervous Marinette couldn't help but smile fondly, "I'm sure they'll be sympathetic to my cause. We weren't getting much business anyway without air conditioning or ice cream."

"I bet Andre is all sorts of busy these days."

Marinette idly puffed a hot breath onto the window pane, "Did I ever tell you about my father's proposal at Andre's?"

Nino rolled his eyes, "only every single time we're craving ice cream."

Marinette laughed, "Sorry about that. It's just super romantic, ya know?"

Nino shrugged, "I guess. Anyway, I haven't seen you since school! What have you been up to? More fashion projects I'm guessing?"

"You guessed right. And I've been helping maman and papa in the bakery, as I guess you can tell. Also…" Marinette hesitated, eyeing her old friend thoughtfully, "you're going to think I'm a total dorkasaurus if I tell you this…"

Nino elbowed her, "You know you can tell me anything."

Marinette wasn't so sure, she hadn't told _anyone _yet. She chewed her lip, still reluctant.

"You're one of my best friends Marinette. You don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable but… just know that I definitely won't judge you."

Marinette nodded, why should she worry anyway? It wasn't a big deal, and Nino was always understanding.

"I uh- started playing some _Interactive Virtual Reality Games_."

Nino nodded, "And you're already hooked huh? That happens of coarse, IVRGs are totally rad. It's almost impossible to not be intrigued by the idea of a completely different lifestyle where you can be more powerful and meet new people."

Marinette arched a dark brow, "You sound like you've experienced it."

"Yeah. I have. I uh-" His voice cracked, and Marinette realized she'd never heard him this uncomfortable before.

The bus came to a jolting halt.

Nino stood up and left for the bus doors so fast Marinette struggled to follow his movements. His voice rang in her ears,"I've got to go."

Marinette stood up,"What? Wait Nino-"

But he was already gone.

Marinette frowned at his retreating figure.

Well _that _was weird.


End file.
